Try on Something New... Even If You Are Afraid It Won't Fit

One of the best things about being a kid is being able to try on all sorts of new things to find out what fits you.  You have classes in school and activities your parents plan and playdates with friends and stories your grandparents tell and visits to the library.  You are constantly exposed to new things that you can try on and see how they fit.

As adults I find we already have our pile of things that fit and we don't often try new things on.  In fact we often look at new things and filter them out as "not our size" because they didn't fit in the past or because we think our closet is too full.

So I have decided that once a month I am going to try on something new.  Something that didn't fit in the past or something I have been afraid to try on because I can't imagine it fits.

This month is going to be Thai cooking.  I love Thai food and I love cooking.  But I have never been great with working with Asian flavors and I have had more than a few fails at the dinner table.  I have more than once uttered "I can't cook Asian food."  Well, I'm going to try it on this month.  I am going to invest some effort to really understand the flavors and techniques and I am going to respect that it might not all come to me right away.  But I am going to put on that something new and even if it is a little uncomfortable at first I am going to wear it until I can really make a decision about it and then figure out if it is something I can put in my closet.

Go ahead and try on something new!  You never know, it might just be your new favorite!

Every Moment Is Perfect ... Even the Ones That Are Not Going Your Way

People spend a lot of time wanting things to be a certain way.  And then getting themselves angry when they don't turn out that way. 

 I used to that too.  A LOT!  I would spend weeks in a snit over some special something my child didn't get.  I would put on the ugliest face ever when the insurance company wasn't paying for some procedure.  I would have trouble breathing when my child got sick and I had to rearrange my schedule.  I knew I didn't want to live that way.  I wanted to be one of those people that "go with the flow".

A while ago I realized that I needed to sort out my expectations from reality.  That helped a lot.  I have calmed myself down a lot by understanding that there is a difference between what I want to be happening and what is actually happening and make a plan for how to deal with it.

But recently I have added a very important little mantra when this happens.

"Every Moment Is Perfect."

The second I feel a stab of aggravation, I say to myself, "Every Moment Is Perfect."

Sometimes those moments are filled with so much joy that you can easily see why they are perfect.  Those moments when you see a rainbow breaking out of the clouds or your daughter draws you a picture or you have the best spoonful of ice cream in your mouth.  Those moments are perfect.  Appreciate them!

But sometimes moments don't feel joyful and you have to trust that they are also perfect.  There is a lesson in there for you.  Can you learn to let go of things?  Can you learn to put others first?  Can you learn to put yourself in someone else's shoes?  Can you learn that winning isn't everything?   Can you learn the difference between wants and needs?  There are all sorts of lessons out there that help us to be more joyful and peaceful people but they often come cloaked in a moment that causes fear or anger or aggravation.

If you can stop yourself in the moment of aggravation and say to yourself "Every Moment Is Perfect" and search yourself for what this moment might be trying to teach you, you will find that the moment ceases to be aggravating and instead becomes a moment filled with joy.  When you turn staying home with a sick child who upends your day into a day spent snuggling under the blankets with your favorite person in the world, you can see how the vomit on your shoes was actually perfect!

So the next time you feel that gnawing aggravation, stop and remind yourself that "Every Moment Is Perfect".

How to Actually Enjoy the Christmas Season

Christmas is hands-down my favorite holiday of the year.  I love the twinkling decorations.  I love finding the perfect gift.  I love the food and cookies.  I love the chilly weather.  I even love that Elf on the Shelf.  All these things make me really happy.

But Christmas can also be really stressful because you want to do all of the decorating and gift buying and cooking and creative Elf placements but there just doesn't seem to be time for all of that and they end up becoming chores looming over your head instead of things that bring you joy.  And well, that's just no fun at all.

But you can save yourself from all of that stress by simply planning ahead!

I have figured out that I do the exact same tasks each year for Christmas and I buy gifts for the exact same people so one year I sat down and made a list of everything I do and another list of everyone I buy for.   And I set "weeks until Christmas" dates for everything so that I can spread them out in November and December.  Things like Christmas cards and party menus and Christmas dresses can be done really early.  Decorations and Christmas cookies and gingerbread houses come much close to the big day.  I'm sure if you think about what you do for Christmas each year you can come up with your own list of the things you like to get done and come up with a plan for spreading them all out over a couple of months instead of a couple of weeks!  Once you have the list you really never have to do this part of the planning again unless you add or remove some festive traditions.

Then each year in August I spend a few hours planning out the details for each task.  I look through Christmas cookies I have pinned and pick the ones I want to make and print out the recipes.  I pick the Christmas dinner menu.  I pick out the Christmas card I want.  I figure out any gifts that I might want to make or specific things I know I want to buy.  (I happen to do it in August because once school starts and Halloween costumes loom in my mind, I find it more of a burden than a fun activity but you might like to fill in the details of your list a bit later!)

Each week I take a look at the list and tackle the few tasks that are there.  It is far less overwhelming then trying to cram them all in the two weeks before Christmas so I really get to enjoy them all.  And they are much easier to do if they have already been planned out.  Making Christmas cookies is so much easier if I have already figured out which ones I am making and have the shopping list in hand!

So try a little advance planning this year and see how much more you enjoy the holidays!